Tag: age grading

I’m 42 and have been running since junior high school, so I’ve seen a lot of ups, downs, and plateaus with training and racing. Last week, though, before the Müggelsee half marathon in Berlin, I got all nostalgic remembering that I’d run the same half marathon exactly ten years ago in 1:40. That was a great race. It was a PR by eight minutes. I felt wistful knowing that this year, I wouldn’t have a chance in hell of running 13 consecutive 7:40 miles; my goal this year was 8:12/mile on a good day. Read more >>

Barb Broad regularly logs world class age grade performances from the 800 meters to the marathon. Her motto? “Age slower than my competitors!”

Last week, Salty wrote a great post about how to define a PR. This concept can become tricky when you’re an older athlete. For some who started focused training later in life, many PRs may still lie ahead because you weren’t training or keeping track when you were younger. However, if you ran competitively in your youth, you may never again be able to run the same absolute time over a given distance, regardless of how well your training is going. If you are a runner in your 30s, 40s or beyond, especially if you are on the speedier side, you may frequently find yourself racing against open runners who might be many years younger than you, and thus have a distinct competitive advantage. At times, this can feel disheartening.